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New pediatrics department chair: 'No one else ... gets to say they're KU'

Brian Pate, M.D., had a wall in his office painted bright KU blue. It’s a literal representation of the energy and visibility he plans to bring to his department through his new position as chair of the department of pediatrics at the KU School of Medicine–Wichita.

Brian Pate, M.D., had a wall in his office painted bright KU blue. It's a literal representation of the energy and visibility he plans to bring to his department through his new position as chair of the department of pediatrics at the KU School of Medicine-Wichita.

"No one else in the area gets to say they're KU," he says, explaining his bold choice of décor. "We have unmatched resources in medical expertise and research. That's a position we need to be proud of ... and I am."

Pate was named chair of pediatrics five months ago, having been vice chair of inpatient services and division director of pediatric hospital medicine for Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. He has wasted no time consulting with key faculty and staff to map out the department's future direction.

"We have so many opportunities to be a catalyst to bring together anyone and everyone with an interest in children's health," Pate says. "Corporations, philanthropists, social service groups, educators, children's advocacy groups ... there are compelling reasons for all those entities to engage. KU Pediatrics can facilitate that connection."

Pate has a vision for how those connections can begin to happen. "We have outstanding clinical partners like Wesley Medical Center and other regional partners. Our department has a large and diverse volunteer faculty," explains Pate. "These are people who work with our students even though it makes their day longer and their practice more complex."

As a result, Pate believes, "We can't be passive. The challenge for our department is how we can return to our faculty, our partners, and our community reciprocal value. What and how can we give back?"

Pate's affinity and commitment to pediatric medicine is easy to discern. He was drawn to the specialty during a rotation in obstetrics. "After the delivery, I handed the baby off. But, I wanted badly to stay with the baby instead of with the mother," he says. "That's what confirmed to me that I was intrigued with pediatrics."

He says the specialty is sometimes misunderstood as "some kind of playful, not-so-serious field." To students who might not consider pediatrics a challenging specialty, Pate replies, "It's a complex clinical practice. Kids have challenging illnesses just like adults. Docs drawn to this specialty are child advocates. They're leaders and teachers in the health care system."

Dr. Pate's position with the medical school brings him back where his career began, when he graduated from the KU School of Medicine-Wichita in 1995. "I chose Wichita over Kansas City," Pate says. "The clinical experience was hands-on. I got much more direct patient contact here as a student."

"My focus now," he says, "is how to position KU Pediatrics at the forefront of pediatrics." Pate believes competition, particularly in ambulatory pediatrics, is "healthy - better for patients. But there's also collaboration that can and should happen in specialty pediatrics to improve quality and patient safety."

Pate has three children of his own, one of whom was diagnosed with leukemia when he was six months old. Now going on four, "He's just fine," he reports. "His recurrence risk is zero."

The KU blue wall was, at this writing, still blank. But other walls in the pediatric department's office suite, housed in Wesley Medical Center, will soon be filled with art from some of the hospital's youngest patients. "We're going to start a gallery," Pate explains. "I want parents and siblings to feel welcome and at home with us. That helps everybody."

 

 

 


KU School of Medicine-Wichita